What You Need to Know About Maternity Outfits

When I first got pregnant I had no idea what I was in store for, as a first time mom my only source of education was social media and that became very overwhelming to say the least. I began to compare myself to other women and became paralyzed when it came to maternity outfits.

There were just so many styles being promoted and I didn’t want to spend copious amounts of money on clothes I wouldn’t wear this time next year.

I had a lot to learn.

Use this as your guide to maternity outfits

Today, I am here to share with you what I’ve learned over the last 9 months when it comes to maternity outfits, and hopefully give you guidance whether you’re in the first, second, or third trimester. From one newbie to another.

This guide will begin by answering some commonly asked questions about maternity outfits, and then move onto category specific sections.

If you need visuals, you can watch a few reels I created while in my third trimester that showcase easy, everyday maternity outfits.

Feel free to scroll through to the area(s) in this guide that serves you, or read through from beginning to end. It’s up to you.

What month should you start wearing maternity clothes

There is no fast or hard rule to determine this. Every woman has a different body and therefore a different timeline when it comes to when she’ll need to start wearing maternity outfits.

For me, I started putting together maternity outfits in my second trimester.

I was very bloated in my first trimester and my usual pants were tight, but I kept wearing the tops that I already owned. By the second trimester I needed to shop around for pants as leggings and sweats began to feel tired.

You can wear what you have for however long you want if it makes you feel comfortable, there is no need to place an order for a totally new wardrobe.

Is 8 weeks too early for maternity clothes

Again, it’s whatever you’re comfortable wearing. If you feel uncomfortable at this stage and need to shop around for maternity clothes or larger sizes, don’t let anyone else determine what’s normal for your journey.

I started wearing stretchy pants at 8 weeks because my denim was too tight around my waist, everyone is different and I just embraced it. It’s better to be comfortable than not.

Can you wear normal clothes when pregnant

Yes absolutely! There are many styles that can be worn throughout your pregnancy, you don’t have to wear maternity clothes and put together strict maternity outfits.

Use what you have! If it’s comfortable, wear it. I wore my normal clothes into the end of my third trimester.

T-shirts, dresses, sweaters, leggings, sweats, tank tops, and cardigans.

These styles are typically stretchy and looser fitting to begin with, so they work when your body changes to make room for your growing baby.

You might struggle with tight fitting clothing like body con dresses, jeans, and even shoes.

My advice is to take an afternoon to go through your wardrobe and decide what you think you’ll be able to wear throughout your pregnancy, and what you won’t.

Then store these items or put them in another location in your home or closet so you’re only left with pieces you can wear, trust me this will eliminate any frustrations and emotions you’ll likely have when getting dressed.

I did this for summer clothes in particular. Any denim jean shorts, crop tops, and fitted dresses went into storage.

I’ll be happy to see them again one day, but for now I’m focusing on the clothes that will work.

Should I buy maternity clothes or just bigger sizes

Both but I would be strategic about this, and honestly it’s a bit tricky.

Here’s a list of pros and cons to make things easier to digest.

Maternity clothes pros:

Constructed for your baby bump
Functionality for things like breastfeeding

Maternity clothes cons:

Expensive
Not always the style you’re looking for
Can be outdated
Can be very unflattering
You can’t necessarily wear them after birth

Bigger size pros:

Same price as regular clothes
You can shop your favourite brands
You can wear these clothes after baby is born

Bigger size cons:

Will likely be too big once you’ve gone back to your pre-baby body
You now have clothes you won’t wear taking up space in your wardrobe and home

Again this is totally up to you and your comfort. I did both, and I can say the maternity clothes were more comfortable.

Some of the clothes I bought in bigger sizes still didn’t fit to take into consideration my bump, and made me feel worse.

Dresses I never had an issue with and were my saving grace in the third trimester.

Maternity Dresses

When looking for maternity dresses be sure to keep a few things in mind:

Can you wear it after the event? This is important because you don’t want to spend all your money on a one time use item of clothing. You will be thankful you chose something you can wear again.
Don’t buy trends. Trust me. When you look back at photos from your baby shower, wedding, or a photoshoot you don’t want to be wearing the same dress every other mom-to-be wore that year. Colour trends and styles come and go. Choose something based on your own personal style.
Stick with brands you normally shop at and love, if they have a maternity line great, if not look for styles that are bump friendly. Every brand has bump friendly dresses. You want to avoid being surprised or disappointed in the fabric, feel, design or shape of a new brand. Since you are already familiar with the brand you are less likely to be stressed out trying to wear something for the first time. Familiarity is always a good thing during times of pressure like finding the perfect maternity dress for a baby shower, wedding, or photoshoot.

Maternity dresses for a baby shower

If you want the theme to be a certain colour, either based on the gender or your personal favourite colour scheme, opt for a dress in that colour.

The same can be said if you’re a guest.

This will make photos look purposeful, and you’ll feel part of the event.

Go for a softer style dress that’s flowy and good for daytime wear, think patterns and soft colours.

You’ll be sitting for the majority of the baby shower so it’s best to be comfortable.

Maternity dresses for a wedding

Here’s where you can be a bit more daring, weddings go from afternoon to evening so you’ll want to account for both when choosing a maternity dress for a wedding.

Here you can go a bit more fitted and styled versus a baby shower.

Just keep in mind you’ll be wearing this dress for the duration of the day, so you’ll still want it to be comfortable.

You can choose your favourite retailer or try a brand one of your favourite influencers recommends, just be sure to have enough time for it to arrive to try on and return if necessary.

Maternity dresses for a photoshoot

Maternity dresses for a photoshoot are much different than other events because the purpose of this is photos, so you’ll want the maternity dress to photograph well.

Usually the photographer will give you an idea of what to wear, and what the overall theme is, and what their style of shooting is so you can get an idea before shopping.

Long trains and body enhancing silhouettes look fantastic in photos so don’t be afraid to try something new that you might not otherwise.

Amazon is actually a great place to find maternity dresses for a photoshoot because they offer unique, affordable styles like dresses with large trains you likely can’t find in store.

This is also a case where it’s okay if you don’t wear this dress again, you can think of it like a prop or investment for the photoshoot.

H&M Maternity

Now while I was pregnant H&M maternity was my go-to. I’m very familiar with the brand so I felt safe browsing H&M maternity for the first time.

I know the fabrics, fit and pricing of their women’s wear so I was happy to explore.

It is pricier than their regular women’s line, likely due to less inventory and additional style requirements.

I must say, I bought two Mama dresses and several other dresses from their regular women’s line and the Mama dresses were what I reached for time and time again.

The fit was just more comfortable since it was structured to fit a bump.

Just remember these styles might be big on you postpartum, so either donate or give to a friend who is expecting, I was happy to do so as I knew when purchasing they would be only for pregnancy.

Maternity Jeans

Maternity jeans are the most difficult style to shop for while pregnant, they’re also very sought after so don’t be surprised if every style you like is sold out frequently.

If you are online shopping, order your regular size and one larger and return the size that doesn’t fit. It’s difficult to know what size you’ll be or what size will be most comfortable so this strategy saves time.

If you’re looking for maternity jean recommendations, H&M has a great line of maternity jeans called before and after, that are stylish and come in modern washes.

You can either opt for an elastic waist or button band, whichever you prefer.

This line is only available online so keep that in mind. I learned that most H&M stores don’t carry maternity wear, at least in Canada.

Mavi Jeans has a maternity jean conversion service, so if you have a pair of jeans you absolutely cannot live without, this would be a great option for you.

Abercrombie, Old Navy and Gap also have maternity jeans that are affordable and stylish.

Maternity Pants

Maternity pants are a bit different in that they’re much easier to find and style.

The casual fit is also a bit more forgiving when looking for your size.

When looking for maternity pants I beelined for pull on pants, you can literally just Google the term pull on pants and you’ll get an array of elastic waist styles some with drawstring, some without, meant to be easily pulled on and worn for any occasion.

You can find maternity pants at H&M, The Gap, Amazon, Old Navy, the list goes on.

You can also just buy pull on pants in size L for wider, more affordable options.

Maternity outfits for work

Styling maternity outfits for work is a challenge, especially if your workplace has a professional dress code.

It limits what you’re able to wear during a time when you’re already struggling to find pieces that fit.

What to wear to work during pregnancy

Stick with comfort first, if you’re commuting and sitting at a desk all day not being comfortable is going to put you in a bad mood very quickly.

Opt for pull on pants, oversized button ups, wrap tops, dresses and cardigans with longer t-shirts.

Unfortunately you might have to invest in maternity outfits for work, so aim to shop at the brands featured in this article, or try your local second hand store.

You would be surprised what people throw away that’s still new because they only wore it for their third trimester.

Maternity outfits with leggings

Maternity outfits with leggings are one of the easiest, most comfortable outfits to put together.

Leggings are naturally stretchy and high waisted so you’ll get the support that you need easily. I wore Encircled leggings religiously because the fabric is so soft, stretchy and fits like a dream.

But you can get maternity leggings at brands like H&M, Old Navy, Amazon etc. You will likely wear this outfit style a lot because its so ideal for the belly, so enjoy.

When it comes to what top to wear, it’s pretty simple. Just make sure the top is long and loose and that’s pretty much it.

If you want to go with a crop top to show off the belly go ahead! There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to maternity outfits with leggings.

You can wear regular leggings while pregnant, as every woman has a different body type but you might notice them become too tight when you get into your third trimester.

I would avoid this style if you work in a corporate setting, and instead opt for pull on pants for work.

Maternity outfits spring

Spring is a difficult time of year since the weather is all over the place so think layering.

Base essentials are a must and you can throw on winter top layers like a cardigan if necessary.

Don’t invest in a maternity rain coat unless it rains a lot where you live and it’s essential.

You can get away with long sleeved, long dresses and thin sweaters and long sleeved t-shirts.

Maternity outfits summer

Summer for me was the easiest, I stocked up on dresses from H&M and threw one on every morning in 10 seconds. One piece for an entire outfit is the easiest and quickest decision.

Rompers are also great in the summer for extra support and another one piece outfit.

Maternity outfits winter

Now maternity outfits in the winter are tricky depending on where you live. I wore a lot of leggings and sweaters when it was really cold out.

This is where you can wear your maternity jeans and pull on pants.

Maternity Outfits Baby Shower

Choosing what to wear for your baby shower can be tricky, you want to look timeless because you’ll look at these photos for the rest of your life but you also want to be in style.

I recommend having fun with your accessories whether that’s wearing trendy shoes and jewelry or something in your hair and staying classic with your outfit.

That way you can look at your baby shower photos for years to come and not think wow these look outdated.